Have you ever been the awkward lonely looking guy or girl at a conference, just waiting for someone to come up and talk to you at the bar, or breakfast table?

Here’s how most conferences go for me: I grab my badge from check-in. Next, I awkwardly walk into a hall with 150+ strangers and look around for a familiar face. When I don’t recognize anyone I head to the bar or breakfast buffet.

Still not recognizing anyone, I find myself staring down at my phone as if I am messaging a friend who is “on the way…” (sigh)

For me, that’s how most large conferences go! Today, I learned a ton of valuable tips from Networking Guru, Travis Chappell.

In just over 25 minutes, he virtually helped me overcome my fears and gave me some awesome ideas on what I can do (and it’s not just “get comfortable with being uncomfortable”) – the best advice comes around the 20-minute mark.

A little over two years ago when I started The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast, if you told me that I would have been filming the 100th Episode LIVE in Los Angeles on the set of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, who the very guest that inspired me to pursue this journey, I wouldn’t have believed it!

When I launched this podcast, it was at one of the most challenging times of my life…

I was adjusting to life as a new dad (my daughter was only five months old), I was commuting almost 2 hours to work every day, and I had no clue who I was going to have as a guest, or even what I was going to talk about.

I knew one simple thing – I had to start! I had to take action and learn with every interview.

That simple practice of “taking action” became the mantra for the show – “find your passion, take action, and build the life of your dreams.”

By making the simple choice to take action and start The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast; I have had the opportunity to interview over 100 amazing entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and industry titans.

The journey has now culminated with the opportunity to interview Tom Bilyeu, Co-founder of Quest Nutrition and Impact Theory.

I’m a relentless agent for change, here to see how far I can push my own potential and the potential of others. I used to think I was Morpheus or Neo, now I know I’m the White Rabbit. My job is to simply show you how deep the rabbit hole really goes. The rest will be up to you. I’ll consider mine a life well lived if we can pull people out of the Matrix by positively impacting the direction of the culture at large. I believe that’s done through two things: 1. The creation of, financing for and mentoring of mission-based businesses and entrepreneurs and 2. The creation of media properties of all types that tell empowering stories. (more here)

In our interview, Tom goes deep into how to find your passion and build your life by providing value.

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #98 with Casey Cease

Would you ever be able to forgive someone for killing someone you loved?

When Casey was in his Junior Year of high school, Casey was battling a growing depression. After having his heart-broken, and hearing a distressing story he left a party he was hosting late at night, against the best efforts of his friends to keep him there.

As he was leaving his neighborhoodin despair, he changed his mind, turned around, and was headed home. As he was nearing his home his friend was in the middle of the road waving him, he swerved to avoid him and crashed.

When he swerved, he turned in the same direction his friend jumped. He hit him going 80 mph.

When he awoke in the hospital he was told by a State Trooper that he had killed his friend.

While he was in the hospital, the parents of his friend came to the hospital and forgave Casey!

As a parent to two young children, I can’t imagine their loss, but more mind blowing, I can’t imagine what it took for them to forgive Casey.

The challenge for Casey, he needed to find a way to forgive himself.

What Happens When You Hit Rock Bottom?

For years after the accident, Casey battled depression, and thoughts of suicide.

It wasn’t until Casey publicly shared his story that he began to heal, and realized the power of story.

In that healing process, Casey started to write a book about his experience to help others battle through their own personal tragedies.

In his writing process and publishing process, Casey saw how little support there was for those who wanted to write and publish their book. There were basically two options, approach a traditional publisher or self-publish, but there was little support in between.

He approached his mentor with the opportunity and eventually created Lucid Books, which is a Partnership Publisher.

The irony in Casey’s story, he is dyslexic.

I’m probably one of the only dyslexic publishers in the world.

When you hit rock bottom, the only direction left to go is up!

What will you learn from this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

Starring a 10-year high school reunion in the face, Keith F. Shovlin, knew he had a few things he wanted to check off his list and becoming an author was on it!

He had a book idea, but no luck finding a publisher.

Instead of throwing in the towel, he decided to publish the book himself, and in taking action realized that he wasn’t the only one struggling to find a publisher.

That lead to the creating of AOIS, which has now evolved into AOIS Media.

aois21 media is a cloud-based publishing and production service for creators and consumers everywhere, providing a marketing infrastructure to support self-publishers, the tools and guidance to new authors and performers starting out, and titles and programs that span all genres and generations.

What you will learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

If you’ve struggled with finding a deeper, healthier, and happier connection to your body, food, and lifestyle, the Invisible Fitness Formula is the answer. Recent research in mind –body medicine indicates that if we are truly going to heal the obesity epidemic that has tripled in the past fifty years, a holistic, mindful approach is key (click here to buy it on Amazon).

JJ Flizanes is an Empowerment Strategist and Host of The Fit 2 Love Podcast Show. She is the Director of Invisible Fitness, an Amazon best-selling author of Fit 2 Love: How to Get Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Fit to Attract the Love of Your Life, and author of Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core, and was named Best Personal Trainer in Los Angeles by Elite Traveler Magazine. Her newest book, The Invisible Fitness Formula: 5 Secrets to Release Weight & End Body Shame debuted at #2 on Amazon’s Best Seller List and New Hot Release for Women’s Health. JJ vividly reminds us that the word ‘fitness’ is not just about the state of one’s physical body, but also the factors which determine a person’s overall well being. And, for JJ, the key components in all these areas are ‘invisible’ — balanced support structures of nutrition, emotional centeredness and health. A video expert for About.com and regular contributor for The Daily Love, JJ has been featured in many national magazines such as Shape, Fitness, Muscle and Fitness HERS, Elegant Bride, and Women’s Health as well as appeared on NBC, CBS, Fox 11 and KTLA. For her clients & followers, JJ designs customized coaching programs and unique, versatile approaches that harmonize the emotional, the mental and the spiritual (http://jjflizanes.com/about/)

In This Episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast, JJ Flizanes shares the following:

How to listen to your inner voice

The importance of finding clarity within yourself

Why you need to disconnect

How she overcame body shame issues and built an “anti-diet” movement

The surfer doesn’t creat the wave – Be more like the surfer, catch it, and ride it.

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #91

I was blown away by the insight and tactical advice that WordPlay T. Jay shared in this episode. After struggling with depression, he found music. That passion grew inside of him, and he knew that he could share his gift with the world and spread happiness and a message of positivity in a genre typically filled with violence.

WordPlay T. Jay broke through after hustling his way onto MTV’s RapFix.

What surprised me in this interview, was his insight into music is a skill that anyone can learn.

If you work hard enough, anything can be learned and perfected. It is just about getting on stage.

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #85

I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. – Steve Jobs

What is a better quality life to you? More time with loved ones, more time to do the things you love, or both?

The bottom line, is we all want more time (quantity) to do the things we love with the people we love (quality).

The challenge, so few of us make the time to do those things.

Take this past weekend for example, what did you waste time on? Did you spend the weekend doing spring cleaning, mowing the lawn, or even worse, doing your taxes?

I have so much that I want to do. I hate wasting time. – Stephen King

If you did manage to spend it doing what you loved, did you feel overwhelmed when you got back home that there was a mountain of “to-do’s” that had been neglected?

Here is a really simple question I want to ask you (answer it honestly…)

How much time did you waste doing the things you hated doing this weekend, and what would you have rather been doing (write down the answer in the comments below).

Now, before I explain why that is important I want to share a little story with you…

A little over three years ago, my wife and I were blessed with our firs child, and a quick 18 months later our second. To say life was hectic would be an understatement.

Like most parents with young kids, our days were somewhat the same: early morning wake-ups, preparing meals, cleaning dishes, rushing out the door for work, only to rush home to get dinner ready, do some more dishes, baths, and bedtime. We would relax for an hour or so watching Suits, House of Cards, or Homeland (which is so addictive) while catching up on some work we missed trying to get home for dinner…

Sound familiar???

So when the weekends arrived, the last thing we wanted to do was clean our house. We wanted to do something fun, but the guilt of all the “stuff we had to do” would hang over us.

While we couldn’t really afford it – we decided to hire a cleaning service. This meant we would get back at least half a day on our weekends.

So back to my original point. What’s more important to you, a quality life, or quantity? This little investment in a cleaning service gave us both the quantity and quality time we needed!

I can imagine at this point, you’re probably having the exact same reluctance we had when it came to hiring someone to clean our house and many of you would probably argue that it is a huge waste of money.

Well here’s some simple math to consider…

The big problem too many of us have, is we have little to no respect for our time.

If you make $50,000/year, that is roughly equivalent to $25/hour. If it takes you 4 hours to clean your home top to bottom and you do it twice a month, it is, in fact, costing you $200/month (and for those who have kids know that it takes twice or three times as long to do anything).

I can tell you first hand that there are thousands, if not millions of ways to make an extra $100, $10,000 and event $100,000 per year on the side that will allow you to afford to live not only a better quality life but one with more quantity of the things you enjoy.

Here are 5 things you could do today to improve your quality (and quantity) of life:

1. Stop hoarding, start selling

How long are you going to hold on to your PS2, PS3, and XBox? The baby toys? Most importantly that collection of old phones? If you are looking for a cleaning service or a lawn care company, in most places you are looking for $150-400 per month depending on your home.

If you can find a way to sell $1,200 – $2,000 of junk, you’re more than halfway to buying back your quality and quantity of life.

2. Ask for a raise

For most people, talking about money, let alone asking for it, is one of their biggest fears. Think about ways you can provide more value to your employer. Make a proposal that you would like to do “X”, and in exchange for doing so you would like “$Y”. If your employer agrees, simply over deliver. Ramit Sethi has an awesome guide, where he breaks this entire process down, click here for the details:

3. Cut wasteful spending

I’m not going to tell you to stop drinking Starbucks, that will be short-lived. Consider the wasteful spending like the gym membership you signed up for 6 months ago and have been to twice. Take a close look at your credit card statement (especially from iTunes) – are there recurring membership charges from “trials” that renewed. Are you actually using your Amazon Prime membership? There are countless ways to curb your spending, but be realistic when making cuts. Find the things you do not actually use or enjoy, not the things like Starbucks and going out for lunch.

4. Barter

We all have a unique skill that we can exchange with someone. Find someone who values that service and exchange quid pro quo. For example, if you are a web designer, but hate yard work. Find a local lawn maintenance company and exchange your services.

5. Start a side business doing what you love

Just like bartering, everyone reading this has some unique skill they can share and charge for. I have interviewed 75+ people who all have built unique businesses or raised significant amounts of money by combining their passion and taking action. Below is a quick graphic summarizing one of my favorite visuals for finding your “Ikigai” (your ideal business). Once you have found that, you can reach out to your friends and family to ask how you can help. It may be as simple as helping tutor the kids of friends and family members on math, or English? If you want to do some freelancing work, you can use websites like UpWork of Fiverr.

I want to be clear, and this is the reason I left this as the last point. I do not suggest this option as a means to buy back your time as something that is simple. It takes a conscious effort to build a business, however, if your goal is to make an additional $1,250 – $1,500 you will have a lot more fun making money on the side doing what you love, to afford the better quality life, than undervaluing yourself and doing the chores you hate.

Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai

TL;DR – Here are the shortcuts to creating a better quality life:

Start valuing your time, and what it is worth. Here are 5 Things you can do to create a better quality and quantity of life:

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #80 with Colette Streicher

How To Rewire Your Brain For Success

Happiness is undervalued in our lives…we value hardwork, and success, but none of those are possible without happiness

I recently finished reading “Stealing Fire” by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal. The book is about “Silicon Valley executives like Eric Schmidt and Elon Musk, Special Operators like the Navy SEALs and the Green Berets, and maverick scientists like Sasha Shulgin and Amy Cuddy have turned everything we thought we knew about high-performance upside down.”

Within minutes of talking to Colette Streicher, I saw an instant connection to how high performers are using a heightened state of consciousness to up their game to a new level.

Colette Streicher moved to the United States from France in 1995. In 2001, she graduated from the University of Houston with a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a specialization in family therapy. Colette currently operates a successful international practice as Peak Performance Coach.

For more than 20 years, Colette continually studied many different therapies stemming from the field of Energy Psychology. These studies include EFT with Gary Craig, Thought Field Therapy, Matrix Energetics, Bodytalk, Quantum techniques, Seemorg Matrix as well as many others.

In 2013 Colette co-founded a new method in the field of psychology (Manifesting All Possibilities(TM), MAP for short.

Through the use of MAP, practitioners are able to create extraordinary results. The method was proven effective to rewire the brain through the use of QEEG technology. MAP is a revolution in the field of psychology as it gets instantaneous results without the use of tapping or even talking.

What will you learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #79

A Canadian, Content Marketer, Best Selling Author, and Entrepreneur – that’s a recipe for a perfect guest and Marie Wiese didn’t disappoint!

In this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast, Marie Wiese talks about her entrepreneurial journey and how she was able to literally write her own success story. After being gifted a typewriter when she was a little girl by her grandmother, that gift for storytelling, led to a career in PR. That career quickly led down an entrepreneurial path with a startup, which, like many other dot-com businesses in the mid-2000’s, unfortunately, led to a financial collapse.

Marie bounced back and started consulting. After reflecting on how she helped the business grow to 100+ employees and raised over $25 million in funding, she knew she could repeat that process. Years later, Marie continues to run Marketing CoPilot and “help companies build digital marketing programs that make a difference. We deliver strategic guidance and tactical execution so companies can jump-start their digital marketing efforts to be more engaging, customer-centric and competitive.”

What you will learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast: